February 19, 2025

Fitness Diet Logic

Maintain A Healthy Diet

The Role of Healthy Fats in a Fitness Diet – A Review of the Latest Research

Dietary fats provide athletes with an essential source of energy. Their concentrated form provides sustained fuel for endurance activities and demanding training sessions.

Healthy fats include those which contain unsaturated fatty acids, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated lipids found in avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil contains predominantly saturated fats, with medium-chain triglycerides (MCFAs) being more readily absorbed by your bloodstream directly rather than via long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) packed into molecules called chylomicrons for delivery to lymphatic systems for absorption. Instead of these intermediate chains entering through LCTs packaged as chylomicrons and stored for use later by your lymphatic system for absorption purposes, coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCCTs), while medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) can enter directly and be immediately used by your cells to produce energy immediately for immediate energy needs.

Coconut oil has shown to raise HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL levels similarly to butter and other unsaturated oils, although no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have yet been conducted on this subject.

Coconut oil’s environmental impacts can be negative. Production requires large tracts of land for production and can result in habitat destruction. Furthermore, its creation from endangered palm and other trees may spark controversy among some people.

Nuts

Nuts are highly nutritous foods with complex matrices comprised of proteins, fats, minerals and plant compounds such as tocopherols, phytosterols antioxidants and flavonoids. Furthermore, nuts contain high levels of fibre which is linked with improved glucose and lipid parameters.

Epidemiological and interventional studies have consistently demonstrated the cholesterol-reducing power of regular nut consumption. Nuts also seem to inversely relate to body composition measures while improving oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular reactivity.

Studies of longitudinal data demonstrated a link between increasing daily nut intake by half a serving and reduced weight gain over four years and a 15% lower risk of obesity – even after making adjustments for other diet and lifestyle factors – and decreased obesity risk by 15%. Consistent nut consumption also decreased risk for diabetes development possibly due to their high concentrations of essential MUFAs or delayed gastric emptying properties.

Avocados

Avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats and packed full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals – providing 10% of your daily potassium needs as an electrolyte for regular heartbeat regulation. Half an avocado provides 10% of daily potassium needs.

One clinical study demonstrated that participants who replaced Italian dressing on their salad and cookies with half of an avocado for lunch experienced lower immediate post-meal insulin levels and were more satisfied after eating due to its more satisfying flavor profile and addition of variety into their diets.

Studies conducted in 2022 demonstrated that adding just one avocado to your diet can greatly increase its overall quality, as avocados contain vitamin D, choline and B vitamins that promote normal liver, brain and nerve functioning.

Olive Oil

While fats have health advantages in general, athletes should limit their intake of saturated fats. Asche cautions athletes that an increase in fat intake could impede performance and recovery. “Overeating of saturated fats will counteract your carb and protein intake, negatively affecting performance and recovery.”

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats that are beneficial for heart health. Furthermore, its phenolic compounds (oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol and verbascoside) protect against inflammation and cell damage by inhibiting oxidative stress [32].

Polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil has been shown to improve cardiovascular risk factors like endothelial dysfunction and blood pressure, according to several studies. For instance, Nocellara del Belice cultivar high phenol EVOO reduced IL-6 and metalloprotease secretion from pre-senescent human lung cells and fibroblasts by over 50% in one experiment; furthermore randomized trials demonstrated that high phenolic EVOO consumption is linked with reduced cardiovascular disease risks.

Fish

Fatty acids all share a similar chemical structure: carbon atoms bound to hydrogen atoms. But differences in length and number of double bonds make certain fats healthier than others; omega-3 fatty acids found in fish have been linked with reduced risks of coronary plaque buildup and lower triglycerides, for instance.

Lean fish is an excellent source of protein, an essential macronutrient essential to building muscle mass and maintaining a healthy weight. Professional athletes frequently incorporate fish into their diets as it’s an easy-to-digest source of low calorie, high quality protein with no saturated fats and abundant key vitamins and minerals compared to meat-based proteins. Studies have suggested that eating two or more times weekly could lower the risk of chronic health conditions such as Alzheimer’s.